Japan Bio Community (JBC) is a non-profit organization [IRC 501(c) (6)]
that provides a network for Japanese professionals who work in the US
biotechnology, biopharmaceutical and healthcare industries. JBC holds
regular monthly meetings in the Silicon Valley and provides the latest
information on a wide variety of topics in the areas of bioscience,
bio-business and the high-tech industry. These forums are well attended
by local professionals and researchers from prestigious universities
such as Stanford, UC Berkeley and UCSF, as well as those from East Coast
and Japan.

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JBC promotes the advancement of science and business by organizing and
hosting regular monthly meetings with invited speakers on a wide variety
of scientific and business topics within the biotechnology industry.
These meetings are usually held at Morrison & Foerster LLP (755 Page
Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1018) and are open to the general
public. Topics from the past meetings include: state-of-art technologies
and science in the biopharmaceutical industry, social and legal
practices in the US, agricultural and environmental issues. Meetings
addressing practical topics such as “how to prepare resume” and
“effective interviews” have also been organized for the benefit of
students and young researchers in search of jobs in bioscience and
related field.

While there have been tremendous interactions between US and Japan in
science and commerce, many Japanese are still unfamiliar with the US
biotechnology industry and culture and vice versa. JBC helps to bridge
the differences and expand mutual understandings between the two
cultures by hosting an annual meeting to a wide ranging captive
audience. During BIO2004 (International Meeting for the Biotechnology
Industry, held at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco June 2004), JBC hosted a
meeting titled “US & Japan Biotech World: Different? Similar?” in
conjunction with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Invited
panelists provided insight into differences and similarities between
working in the American and Japanese healthcare-related companies. The
meeting was a great success with over 250 attendees from both US and
Japan.